The Second Coming
by PenMagic
Summary: Sequel to The Newborns. Albus Potter is back at Hogwarts with his friends and family. But a dark shadow is falling over the castle, memories of nearly 20 years coming back to haunt them and someone is plotting revenge. Will Albus, Rose and Scorpius along with their family and friends be able to overcome what is threatening them before it gets too close to home and school?
1. Chapter 1

**HOLLA! So I am back with a new story! I waited until my A Levels were finished before writing and now I'm back! This chapter is more of a prologue to the start of the story! I hope that you will enjoy the return of so many of the characters you saw in the last ****fic!**

**So we are in a small place in the middle of nowhere and we see our favourite blonde Ravenclaw. Do let me know what you think!**

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The rain hammered down on the cobblestones as the skies opened to release the much needed water on the British countryside. It had been the hottest summer on record, with temperatures rising to nearly 30C. For once it was perhaps a better thing to do to stay in the United Kingdom than go abroad where, at some points; it was colder than the country they stayed in the rest of the year. Those who easily remembered the summer of 1995 would often draw comparisons with the summer of 2018.

But that was all over. It was mid-August and someone had finally taken pity and decided to stop torturing the small island that had such a big impact on the rest of the world. People welcomed the downpour with adulation and the wish that the hosepipe ban would be lifted, was finally perhaps a shimmering light in the distance.

It was 11pm at night and only a few lights could be seen in the street that ran in the middle of the quaint Scottish village of Lower Hampton just outside of Glasgow. The houses had withstood two world wars, an industrial revolution and a Civil War and they were only now starting to look a little worse for wear. The residents were mainly pensioners, senior citizens, the odd student passed through but the lazy and relaxed pace at which the village lived at, soon made people restless.

Most of the occupants of Lower Hampton were not aware of any unusual activity that occurred. They did not seem to notice anything different about the one family that lived in the village; they were regarded as quiet and polite. Sure the mother was rarely there and the whole family was never in the summer, but the twin boys were the darlings of the village. All the old ladies fussed over them and always spoke to each other of how nice Lorcan and Lysander Scamander were. But tonight was different. The new moon that night meant there was very little light that shone in the street where the cloaked figure glided. It could not be said in any form of the world that the figure had walked. The black cloak that encased its form was flowing and barely rustled in the gentle breeze that swept along the street with the rain. The water that seemed to hammer at and bounce off every cobblestones, every piece of the outside world that it hit, did not penetrate the figure. It was as if the figure was not there, transparent. The material of its cloak could not be any man-made or natural fibre. It was something most definitely beyond that. Something that most likely, no Muggle scientist would be able to explain.

The figure rested in front of a two-storey house with a thatched roof and white painted bricks. There were three windows on the first floor of the house and two on the bottom with an oak door in the middle. The figure made its way along the small path and then, rather than trying to break and enter, the figure simply lifted off the ground. No sound was made; no mode of transport suitable for flying was made known. It was as if the figure itself was flying. Any Muggle passer-by, though, would not have suspected a thing, as they will not have seen anything. The figure floated, if that was the best word, to the nearest window and barely got within a metre of it, before backing way. But as it approached the second window, there was a small pause before the figure glided and slid under the small gap in between the window and the ledge of the sill, gently ruffling the curtains as it brushed past them. The figure turned what anyone would presume was its head and sensed the presence of the two people in the room. And the figure was right. Lying on opposite sides of the room were two identical boys. Their mops of blonde curls were matched with sparkling sea blue eyes that were covered by pale eyelids. Their sleeping forms made them look as if they were small angels. The figure seemed to hesitate, as if trying to work out which child was which. The truth was, there was no way of telling between Lorcan and Lysander Scamander when they were asleep. But somehow the figure managed to distinguish between them and slowly he moved towards the left hand bed, where a sleeping Lorcan lay. Its long and skeletal fingers came from underneath his cloak and reached towards his hood, ready to pull it back and deliver the fatal kiss.

But, despite all the rain that had not made him wet and the pebbles that should have made a sound when he walked, it was his passing a small dog that lay at the foot of the bed that caused a reaction. The dog was only half-asleep and his ears pricked up at the clear movement in the room. Not knowing what it was, he knew that he had to protect his master and so did the only thing he could: growl and bark.

Immediately the two boys woke up. Lorcan seemed to be paralysed with fear as the figure pulled back the hood. Lysander could only watch in horror, seemingly paralysed with fear as he saw a cloaked figure leaning over his brother. He couldn't understand what was going on but he knew he alone couldn't save his brother. But his instincts told him that someone could, someone else in the house

And so, taking a deep breath, Lysander did the only thing he could think of right then, screaming. "MUM!"

The yell carried as it should have done, the waves travelling out of the room and down to the next room where Luna sat bolt upright in bed. She had become attuned to hearing the cries of her twin boys, now both ten years of age. But there was a note of desperation in her son's voice that made her sure that there was something very wrong. Grabbing her wand, she slipped from underneath the warmth and protection of her bed and husband, and ran down the corridor.

What she saw chilled her to the bone. They were still recovering as a family after the death of Louis, the twins had been close to him, and another tragedy could not hit so soon. She knew the incantation, the one that would drive the Dementor away. All she needed was the happiest thought she had. But it would not come. It was as if watching her son's soul getting sucked out took all the happiness out of the world.

Lysander was cowering behind the protection of his mother and Luna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she felt the shaking that clung to her leg, wishing for that precious memory to return. "Go get your father." She whispered to her other child and he willingly fled.

Rolf was better at this kind of thing. He had joined Hogwarts and Ravenclaw aged 11 when Luna was going into her fourth year, the year she had joined Dumbledore's Army. He could keep her safe. And then the memory came food back. It was simple but pure, her mother. Luna could picture clearly the way she looked all ruffled after a day in the workshop where she would tinker with various things.

A small smile leapt onto her gracious features and she pointed her wand straight at the Dementor, trying with al her might to remember her mother and not to see the scene that was before her. "Expecto Patronum."

Perhaps it was Luna's unlucky day, but all that came out of her wand was a thin whisp of white, nothing like her Hare Patronus that she was so used to seeing when she tried. Tear after tear fell as time after time, as she tried to conjure a Patronus.

Only was it at the reassuring sense of another mature wizard next to her that made her think that she might be able to do it that little bit more. "On three." Rolf whispered into her ear. "One," she took a deep breath, "two," she couldn't lose another loved one, "three!"

And together, with a new surge of confident in her heart, they cast the spell that would protect their son. And it had worked. A hare and a racoon bounded forward together, charging at the cloaked figure who was still trying to suck at the life form of Lorcan who seemed to be growing weaker. Lysander cheered and Luna could not help but smile as the Dementor slid out of the window and out of sight, the hare and racoon chasing it until Luna looked at the younger of her two sons lying immobile on his bed.

Rolf steadily pointed his wand at his youngest. "Enervate." He whispered, wishing for the incantation to take place but to have the more gentle effect which should have been what happened when the spell was spoken with less conviction.

Luna ran over to her son, gathering him up in his arms and not caring that her family was there, let the tears flow freely. Lorcan buried his face in her hair, he was physically weak and all he cared about was making sure that his mum was there and he was safe. His breathing slowly slowed down, the breaths deeper and more content, his drowsiness taking over as his head nodded into his mother's chest, his eyes slowly drooping closed and the sheer fatigue as a result of the events of the night soon took over and his breathing became rhythmic, a slow and deep sleep consuming his young body.

Luna closed her eyes and stood with the sleeping boy in her arms. Lysander looked on fearfully, his hands clasped around his father who had a gentle hand place on his son's head. She slipped him under the covers, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head before standing, her eyes fixed on her son.

"Mummy?" Lysander's quivering voice was what drew her attention away and back to her son. "Is Lorcan going to be okay?"

Luna didn't even try to force a smile onto her face as she knelt down in front of her son and tucked a stray strand of golden hair behind his ear. "It will probably mean a day of rest for him but yes, he will be okay." Her eyes darkened and her voice became serious. "Lysander, he does not need to be reminded of what happened tonight. Can I trust you not to talk about it if he is there unless he brings it up? He won't want to remember. We need to be sensitive. Can I trust you to do that?"

Lysander nodded, he may only be 10 but he understood a lot more than people sometimes gave him credit for. He knew why his parents didn't want them talking about it. He was shaken enough by the event and so he could not fully understand how much his brother was suffering. "Don't worry Mummy, I know." he reached out and put his arms around his mother's neck, pulling her into an embrace. "G'nite mum."

Luna smiled; the innocence of her children was just too precious for anyone to be able to fully understand, aside from her. "Goodnight sweet heart."

Lysander pulled away from her and hugged his father who had a small, sad smile on his face. "Night Daddy."

Rolf chuckled, he was glad to see his son content. "Good night Sander."

Lysander revealed a toothy smile as he heard his father's nickname for him before going back over to his bed, stealing glances often at his twin brother. This did not go unnoticed by Luna or Rolf as they watched him. "Sander?" Luna also used the pet name and he turned in his bed, his covers pulled up to his chin tightly. "You don't need to worry about Lorcan tonight." She smiled as she felt the golden retriever rub against her thigh and jump lightly onto Lysander's bed where he licked the boy's face once before jumping lightly off and settling himself back into his favourite position in the middle of the thick carpet, right in between the two boys. Luna nodded to the dog. "See, Padfoot will look after you well enough."

Lysander seemed to think this was sensible and a good enough guardian for them both and so snuggled down, wriggling his body into a comfortable position in his bed. Luna watched her two sons for a moment. They had seemed so innocent and carefree until just a few moments. Now this would scar them for life. They would never forget it and neither would she. It was hard to forget something like that.

Rolf touched her arms gently. "You need to take your own advice." He whispered in her ear. "They will be okay, Padfoot is the perfect guardian."

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**What did you think? Did it make sense? What do you think might it all be about!**


	2. Going Back To Hogwarts

**HOLLA! So a HUGE thank you to those who alerted, favourited and reviewed my story. It makes me feel so much better to know that people are interested in this story. I apologise for the lateness of this chapter, I am trying to update approximately every two weeks for each of my stories but it will get a little difficult when I won't have any internet access!**

**At the bottom of the next chapter, when the new first years have been sorted, I will put a list of all the Weasleys, Potters and other family friends and which year/how old they are to give you an idea of where everyone stands in my mind.**

**There are a few cameos in here by my friends Magic Of Every Kind and Aragorn and two others who aren't on ****fan fiction but requested a cameo so they are both in there as well. I hope you enjoy this new instalment!**

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The sun was beating down on the road, the red brick standing out on the street as cars rushed past, the tall tower and its clock face signalling that it was 10.45am. Commuters in suits of varying colours hurried by, talking earnestly into their iPhone whatever generations, tourists stood by taking pictures with the iconic clock tower. The red brick of the station rose above them like an elegant tower, or collection of towers. The hum of noise surrounded the air like it was perfectly normal. And in the middle of this crowd, standing off to one side by the wall before they could enter the station, stood an eclectic mix of people. At first glance, no one would consider anything but merely a rather normal family just waiting of something. But what would make people do a double take would be the old-fashioned set of trunks on the two trolleys of the two teenage boys and the two owls perched at the top. This did not faze the group and for some reason, it did not faze anyone else.

"Harry." The red-headed woman rolled her eyes at the man with messy, jet black hair and piercing green eyes who was looking around nervously, his brow creased in worry. "Harry, Luna is head mistress. They aren't exactly going to be late and miss the train." She patted is arm, attempting to be reassuring. "Stop fretting, I expect Luna has already gone through. Look, I'll send her a message if that will make you feel any better."

Looking decidedly Muggle like as she took out a mobile phone, Ginny Potter didn't need to go any further than selecting the contact as a squeal broke their silence. "LILY!" A figure with a mop of dirty blonde hair ran across from around 20m away from them, his trolley running at alarming rates in front of him.

Lily smiled and raised a hand in greeting as Lorcan continued to thunder towards her. Sensing that the boy was going to crush, Harry reached out a hand and muttered 'Arresto Momento' under his breath. Almost immediately, the boy slowed down and his speed became a lot slower. As the 11 year old boy reached them, he caught the trolley with a smile. "You know better than that Lorcan." Harry half-reprimanded with a small smile on his face.

The boy let a toothy grin show. "Hi Mr Potter!" He looked down at the trolley and his hands still holding onto it. "Can you keep an eye on my trolley while I say hi to Lily?"

Harry smiled and nodded, already reaching for a packet of biscuits for the boy's owl who was thoroughly disturbed by the sudden changes in motion. Lorcan and Lily embraced, they were great friends and it would be more difficult for her to wait another year before she went to Hogwarts. And as she would now be only one of three people left at home with two cousins and two friends starting this year. It was not long before Lysander and their parents joined them where Harry embraced Luna and greeted Rolf with a firm handshake.

"Shall we go then?" Luna suggested and the group cheered before manoeuvring themselves into the depths of King's Cross station.

Perhaps it was because he just hadn't been paying attention in the years before or because he genuinely had never noticed it, but Harry saw many more trolleys heading in the same direction as them with the odd collections of animals on top. Harry cast a Dissolutionment charm over their groups so that the overall look of all heading to the barriers between platform 9 and 10 was a little less obvious to the Muggles. They hung back; aware they had now ten minutes to get on the train, until there as a clear gap for them to go.

James and Albus went through first with Ginny followed by the twins and their parents. Harry smiled down at Lily, the little girl breaking her scar to smile back at him before they ran at the wall and through. Even though they had done it numerous times, it still made Harry gasp with delight as he saw the scarlet train of the Hogwarts Express. He was broken out of his wishful thinking by a strong hug around his waist. He looked down with a smile to see Albus staring back up at him.

"See you at Christmas Dad!" He smiled happily, clearly ecstatic to be going back despite the events of last year.

Harry ruffled the top of his hair with a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Definitely, is your stuff on the train?" Albus nodded eagerly. "Now why don't you go and get on that train? Get Gryffindor winning the house cup for the second year in a row?"

Albus released his father and grinned up at him. "Dom won't be pleased if that happens."

Harry shrugged, his smile still playing on his lips. "It doesn't matter though, does it? She still has Weasley blood."

"Bye Dad! Bye Lily!" James' distant shout came through the smoke as the train whistle blew, signalling five minutes before they had to leave.

Albus hugged Lily who was once more on the verge of tears before racing off into the smoke, his small body engulfed almost immediately in the smoke that clouded their vision like a screen. "Don't worry Lils, they'll be alright." Harry put his arm around his daughter's shoulder. "And just think, one more year from now and it will be you on that train."

Lily sighed. "A whole year though. They are coming home for Christmas, right?" Harry nodded and her eyes lit up suddenly. "They'll want some more cupcakes!"

Harry laughed. "I think there will be more than your cousins and friends wanting those cupcakes." Lily grinned in agreement with him. "Let's wait for your mother and go."

Lily nodded eagerly, staring at the front of the train as she wished once more, longing for the day she could board it heading for school.

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It hadn't taken long for Al to find his closest friends, Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley. Rose had set herself in a compartment with their family and Scorpius had wasted no time in finding her, convinced his best mate would make an appearance sooner or later there.

It took only the best part of a few minutes for Albus to drag his suitcases along the corridors to find his family and friends. "Al!" Scorpius' cheer came through the doorway as he saw his friend struggle past. Throwing wide the door and knocking over several Weasleys, he pulled the boy into fiercely strong hug. "Man it is good to see you!"

Albus laughed as he pulled away from his friend. "Scor, I saw you like four weeks ago!"

The two sets of twins, Lorcan and Lysander, Molly and Lucy, were still unsure of Scorpius, having not known him for as long as the others and they had all heard the stories where the name Malfoy was concerned. But they were willing to trust Albus and their cousins and so were perhaps a little more open towards him.

It took Al, Scorpius and Fred to lift his trunk up onto the rack where it had to be squashed up against four other trunks, Tonks joining the stack of animals at the end. Al looked around, noticing that there was a family member missing, his throat closing up as he remembered that there should be another member as well present but he would never make it to Hogwarts.

"Where's Dominique?" He queried, the girl was always the first to arrive and set up this kind of thing.

"Didn't you hear?" Fred asked surprised and Al shook his head, at least his tone of voice indicated it wasn't too bad though. "Dom got given the prefect badge! She has to go to a meeting with all the other prefects and the new heads."

Al raised an eyebrow. "And I am not surprised why?" There was a general laugh, Dominique Weasley was the model student and had been almost guaranteed a spot on the prefect team when she was the age that she was now. "Do you know of any other appointments?"

Fred nodded but it was James who cut in. "The new Gryffindor prefects are awesome. Did you come across Tiff Manners and Tom Hopper last year?" Al pursed his lips and tried to put the names to faces but it came up blank so he shook his head. "Well that's them and I haven't heard anything else."

Much more relaxed now knowing where everyone was, Al settled down to a game of Exploding Snape with Scorpius, James' genius idea for a round tournament agreed on enthusiastically by those present. It was a high intensity game with cheering from both sides of the compartment and even greater one when Al finally managed to win, a wide grin on his face.

"Good game." Scorpius smiled and shook Al's hand as they moved to allow Molly and Lucy to take their places by the window and either side of the table. "You've got your good seeker reflexes to help you out there."

Al shrugged. "I don't know, you were pretty quick off the mark and were hard to beat."

Scorpius smirked. "Well, what can I say, I do try my best."

With the tournament and then, a couple of hours later, the arrival of the candy lady and the trolley of sweets that was smelt before it was seen, it was a very happy and content Weasley, Potter and Scamander clan that arrived into Hogsmeade station hours later. Dominique had joined the group only have an hour after Al had arrived, her prefect badge gleaming on her chest, she was the 10th player in their tournament and had only just lost to Lorcan, who had proven quite the competent player, in the final.

They all clambered out, some in newer robes than others, and Al pointed the four first years in the right direction before following the majority of the crowd towards the Thestrals drawn carts that would take them up to the castle. He grinned as he; Rose and Scorpius were joined in their carriage by a tanned and now bright red haired Harry Lupin who was beaming.

The journey up to the castle was fairly fast and Al felt strange not being in the position he was last year. He wasn't nervous about being in Slytherin; he was a confident now second year Gryffindor. He followed the majority of his cousins over towards the Gryffindor table but before he could get very far, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a girl with soft red hair that fell in tight waves past her shoulders and wide blue eyes that were nervous and confused.

He frowned slightly in confusion at her being in the Great Hall as he noticed the black tie she wore, indicating that she was a first year. The others of her year hadn't arrived yet and so clearly she had got caught up going the wrong way and no one had noticed. "Um hi, I think I'm lost."

Her voice quivered, her body posture suggested confidence but her voice betrayed her real emotion. Al smiled at her kindly. "Did you get on the carts with the older students?" She nodded silently. "Don't worry, first years technically go in the boats so you take longer to get here and get a wicked view of the castle." Her eyes widened, Al seeing that she thought that she was in trouble. "Now don't worry, I can take you to a teacher or a prefect who will be able to take care of you. Do you have an older sibling here?"

She nodded; glad that she could answer positively about something at least. "I have an older brother Alex in Ravenclaw, in the fourth year." She smiled and pointed. "There he is, the blonde one."

Al looked to where she was pointing and saw a boy who was a lot taller than him with close cut blonde hair and gentle blue eyes. As they looked, the boy started and raced over to the two of them. "Lizzie, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to follow the voice!"

Lizzie nodded. "I know but I could hear it so I followed everyone else. I thought everyone went the same way."

Alex rolled his eyes. "You silly girl." He said affectionately and turned to Albus with a grateful smile. "Thanks Albus for looking after Lizzie." Al blanched, how did he know his name? Alex laughed at his expression. "I know Dom, James and Fred so of course I know of you, nice to finally meet you. I'm Alex Wells, fourth year Ravenclaw."

Al took the boy's outstretched hand before his eye caught sight of a professor making his way towards the doors to greet the first years. "Alex, Professor Thomas is over there. Why doesn't Lizzie join him so she can meet the other first years?"

Alex grinned and nodded. "Good idea, see you later Albus."

Lizzie waved, her posture more relaxed and she smiled as Alex guided her towards the Professor who had stopped momentarily to talk to a student. Al smiled and continued his way over to the Gryffindor table where he greeted his fellow second years with hugs from Theodore and Lucy who had not spotted him before now. It was good to be back at Hogwarts, where he knew he belonged.

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**What did you think? Did you like it? Did it make sense?**


	3. Surprises and Shocks

**So I hope all of you who are old enough got on the Hogwarts Express this morning! I'm too old and now it is over to you to have a whole load of fun! So for those of who aren't at Hogwarts or who are smart enough to get internet on the Hogwarts Express, I hope you enjoy it.**

**This kicks back off from where we left off. I'll do the list of houses and Weasley/Potter clan at the end of the chapter, look out for a surprise!**

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It felt very natural to be back at Hogwarts, surrounded by friends and family and an incessant chatter that filled your ears as if it belonged there every minute of every day. Yes, 12 Grimmauld Place was home for Albus, but so was Hogwarts. He sat at the Gryffindor table with his cohorts, almost ecstatic to be back and eager to know where his family and friends would be placed. There was some gut instinct that he tried to push away, however, that told him there would be no new Weasleys at the Gryffindor table but it was worth hoping.

They didn't have to wait long for the first years as James made out as half way through a conversation on the result on the last Quidditch season and their spectacular win, the door to the Great Hall swung open and a silent hush immediately fell over the hall. It was strange not being in that line that he now saw being lead up to the High Table by Professor Thomas but Albus grinned and sent an encouraging smile to the two sets of twins and to Lizzie who stood out in the crowd with her bright red hair. They stopped at the front and Albus was glad of his place right by the space for the new first years. The crowd stopped and spread out along the front, a mixture of scared, nervous and some excited faces looking up to the Professors who sat serenely, casting their gaze across the pupils they were responsible for another year.

The Sorting Hat looked as battered as it had last year as Professor Thomas climbed the small flight of steps to join it and picked up the hat with the scroll of names already unrolled. "When I call your name, come up here." He smiled at the students who looked a little bewildered. "I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be placed in your house." He glanced down at the list. "Maisie Barton."

A tiny girl with light brown curls tied in a ponytail climbed the stairs, her eyes darting around and her eyes wide with nerves. Tentatively sat on the stool, it didn't take the Sorting Hat long to place her. "RAVENCLAW!" The shout went up and she stumbled towards the table to Albus' left, smiling as she saw Dominique greet her.

He wasn't very interested in the names that passed him next; he knew that his interests lay in the names in the second half of the alphabet. It wasn't hard to spot Tiffany and Tom, the new Gryffindor prefects, as Eleanor Cowes became the first Gryffindor to join their table. The two new prefects looked nice enough, Tom had a kind and gentle smile but he seemed rather reserved, not exactly your average Gryffindor type. But then, not every Gryffindor fitted the outgoing and crazy stereotypes that were supposed to reside in the house. Tiffany was open, a wide smile and a certain charm that meant Albus already liked her.

It was a pleasing mix of all the houses that joined the tables and there were already 7 Gryffindors, 4 girls and 3 guys, by the time Lorcan Scamander was called up to the stool. The boy looked terrified, his eyes wide and Albus knew in his heart of his heart that Lorcan and Lysander were not going to be in the same house. They may look the same, the only difference being the slight tinge of green in Lorcan's eyes that he could see were dancing with terror as he shakily stepped up to the stool and sat down. The Hat nearly slipped over his eyes but it was not there for a very long time. Many people were waiting for the result, the sons of the headmistress were high profile and Albus had heard that there were bets going to see which house they would be put in.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The cry went out and the Hufflepuff table cheered as Lorcan turned fearfully towards his mother. Rolf had been put in Gryffindor so Albus could see the terror that he was not put in either of the houses of his parents.

But Luna smiled and so he relaxed and took off the Hat, smiling at Professor Thomas before handing the hat back and making his way down the steps and to the Hufflepuff table where he joined Cillian Rockwell, the last Hufflepuff to be sorted and the younger brother, he suspected, of Klaus Rockwell who was a fellow Gryffindor in Albus' year who was seated a few seats down from Albus. The boy looked a little upset but not as much as Albus feared.

Lysander was still staring at Lorcan at the Hufflepuff table, there was a slight disappointment in his eyes as he climbed the steps and sat down on the stool. The Hat was placed on his head and it took an awfully longer time than his twin brother to decide on his fate. Albus could see the curiosity in Lysander's eyes, the confusion and different emotions that spilled over his face in the minute it took for the Sorting Hat to decide.

"RAVENCLAW!" Lysander's face fell slightly momentarily as he realised he wasn't in the same house as his twin but his face lit up as the Ravenclaw table cheered, Dominique's face alight with delight as she greeted Lysander with a warm hug. This seemed to make the boy relaxed and Albus turned back to the sorting.

It wasn't at all long until Lucy was called up to the stool. Suddenly Albus felt very uneasy, as if something was going to go wrong. And years of instinct had told him his uneasiness was rightly delivered, as if something bad was going to happen. The Sorting Hat took even longer than Lysander, the minutes seemed to stretch into hours and people in the higher years were starting to mutter something about a 'Hatstall' whatever that was.

But the result was something that shocked the Hall into silence. "SLYTHERIN!" The cry went up and everybody froze. A Weasley? In Slytherin? Lucy's face was more than shocked and Albus couldn't help but let his mouth hang open. In all honesty it did kind of make sense. Lucy wasn't evil in any way and Slytherin wasn't exactly the very bad guy house any more, she was cunning and used that to her advantage. But was that such the greatest trait that put her into Slytherin?

Then suddenly, from somewhere along the Slytherin table, someone began to clap very slowly. It wasn't sarcastic but uncertain if this was a practical joke or not. Lucy's eyes welled up; her tears filled with confusion and most certainly an amount of fear. But she had to push them away, Molly wouldn't even look at her sister as Professor Thomas pushed her gently towards the Slytherin table who were clapping with varying degrees if enthusiasm and confusion. Albus saw the poor girl sink into her seat, her light brown curls masking her bright red face, next to Ayme Unover, the last Slytherin girl who didn't, in Albus' opinion, look nearly as bad as some of the other Slytherins he had encountered before.

He barely caught Molly's Sorting until the Hat yelled 'HUFFLEPUFF' and a mixture of both relief at being with someone she knew and sorrow for her sister. She collapsed in a seat that Lorcan managed to save, perhaps anticipating that one of his friends and practically family would join him in the house. Albus was glad to see Lizzie Wells joining the two at the Hufflepuff table, his previous judgement had been correct and although she cast a sad glance in the direction of the Ravenclaw table where he knew Alex was sat, she seemed content and was already happily talking to Molly. Albus smiled as he knew her mistake hadn't been a problem, perhaps Professor Thomas had been the only one to take notice.

As the Sorting finished with Benjamin Zebulon being put into Slytherin, Albus breathed a sigh of relief. It was all over for another year and he was intrigued by this year Gryffindor intakes. Only Matthew Creevey and Irene MacMillan had names that rung bells in Albus' head. But before he could make polite conversation as he knew he had found helpful when starting last year, Luna stood up and smiled serenely.

"Welcome everyone, old and new, back to Hogwarts." There was an immediate silence as she spoke her first word, the reverence and respect for her was absolute. "Formalities will be given later but I would, however, like to welcome our new Head Boy and Girl, Alastair Shape of Slytherin house," there was a loud round of applause and Albus turned to see a dark skinned boy with bright eyes stand and wave with a smile, "and Amelia Wells of Ravenclaw house"

There was an equally great round of applause as Albus saw a girl who resembled both Alex and Lizzie with lighter brown curly hair and kind blue eyes stand and bow her head in acknowledgement. "Now I know you must be as hungry as I am so do tuck in."

At her words, the piles of food suddenly appeared on plates and Albus laughed as Matthew's mouth dropped open. "I know, surprised me too the first time I saw it." The younger boy turned in surprise and Al stuck a hand out politely. "Albus Potter."

The boy shook it, thankfully unfazed by the name. Now looking closely, Al could see the resemblance between him and who he presumed was his older sister. "Matt Creevey."

Albus smiled. "You wouldn't happen to be Claudia's younger brother would you?"

He asked curiously and the boy's eyes lit up before nodding. "How do you know Claudia?" He queried.

Albus shrugged. "I know of her, she was heard of my friend's sub-sec last year."

Matt took this as a valid reason but it seemed that he was more interested in talking to his fellow first years and so Albus turned back to Scorpius on his left who was talking about his summer holidays. "The weather was just incredible. It was pure sun the whole time as if it was the Mediterranean, not Shropshire!"

There were a couple of laughs but they were weak. As much as the food was excellent, they were all shattered after a long journey and couldn't think of anything better to do than fall asleep in their beds once more.

But as the chatter passed by Albus, the boy himself throwing in the occasional comment and adding his own opinion and stories, he couldn't help but glance at the other tables to see how his friends and cousins were doing. They were only the year below him anyway; he had some right to be worried about them. He was glad that Lorcan and Molly were in the same house and Lysander had Dominique at least but he was worried about Lucy. Sure she looked comfortable at the Slytherin table, chatting to the girls who were around her but he couldn't help noticing that she glanced over to all three other tables every now and again. Albus suddenly felt as if he needed to look to for his cousin, it could go well but it could go horribly bad.

He took a deep breath and engaged back into conversation with the second-year Gryffindor boys, the conversation having now turned to what they were going to be doing this year. "I hope we have more practical DADA lessons." Theo added hopefully to the conversation.

Albus nodded. "I wonder if they continue to the flying lessons as we." He put in. "Those were really good fun, a chance to do something outdoors and active."

There were a few agreeing nods to this statement. "Isn't running between classes exercise enough?" Harry pouted and everyone laughed, although the boy did have a point.

It was as if the group had never been apart. Scorpius did not look as if he had spent an awkward two weeks with his grandfather at the family manor before going off to Shropshire with his parents and younger sister who, he was told, wouldn't be coming to Hogwarts for another two years. Harry was tanned from his escapade to Spain and Theodore was as rosy cheeked as ever, casting the occasional glance over to where Eleanor Davies sat at the Ravenclaw table, so definitely nothing had changed there.

A seemingly endless ream of incessant chatter later and a few start of term notices from Luna later, they were dismissed and Albus dragged his legs up towards the Gryffindor Common Room. He would have to find out tomorrow about his often fragile at times cousin. But there was a reason that she was in the house and he only winced to think what both of the girls' parents would think. True Audrey had been a Hufflepuff herself so Molly wouldn't get so much stick but for a Weasley to be put into Slytherin…despite the change in heart of Slytherin from the traditional stereotype, Hubert Adam sadly proving rather than disproving the type, there were no good memories of the house from any of the three generations of Weasley that met. Perhaps this was the start of something, the start of a new change and a new face.

He only vaguely heard the sound of the new password 'Carpe Diem' before his legs were willing him to climb up through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor Common Room. He smiled as he saw the chess set where he and Scorpius had many nights provided entertainment for those who enjoyed the spectacle of chess playing rather than partaking in the sport itself. It was almost mechanic the way his legs continued to work his way up the stairs, almost going in through the first year door but stopped himself and walking until he saw the list of names on his new dorm room. He was surprised to see a change, he hadn't expected that:

Harry Lupin

Albus Potter

Klaus Rockwell

On the other door were the names of their other three year mates:

Christopher Chuck

Theodore Harrison

Scorpius Malfoy

The four that had come up together shrugged. "I guess having four of us in the same room was a little unfair leaving Klaus and Chris on their own last year." Theodore reasoned. "We'll see you two tomorrow morning."

Albus nodded and smiling to Harry, who had turned his hair an autumn leaf golden brown, opened the door and made his way into the dorm. The room was exactly like his old one last year, but there was more space between the three beds that were occupying the room. Al immediately recognised which bed was his, closest to the door and next to Klaus' bed, by Tonks in her cage. He went over and loosened his tie as he unlocked both the cage and the window by his bed, letting the bird fly.

"Can you close that window? It's freezing in here and I want to stay warm." Albus was surprised to hear Klaus' tone of voice so unfriendly and icy.

He frowned. "I was just letting my owl out, she needs to go out and hunt and she'll just return to the owlery."

Klaus was a curious boy. He was just taller than Albus with dark brown tight curls to his head with blonde highlights. His eyes were a bright blue that were almost mesmerising but they were void of warmth. Perhaps he didn't want to make an effort to be nice to him. "Well she's gone now so you can shut the window."

Albus sighed and drew his wand, making Klaus frown. He did feel like throwing a minor hex that Aunt Ginny had taught him over the summer but he could solve the problem a lot easier than that. He shut the window and then pointed his wand towards the open burner that formed the middle section of the room. There was a gap for the boys to make a fire and, despite the lack of wood, which was exactly what he was going to do.

Jabbing his wand quickly towards the open section, Albus spoke firmly. "Incendio."

Immediately, and to his delight and with results that would making Professor Chang proud, a fire sprung up in the grate. Klaus jumped back in surprise but Harry, who had remained quiet until now, smiled at Albus. "Good one Al, now I'm much warmer already. At least we won't have the fear of getting frostbite tonight."

His attempt to cheer the situation was lost however and Klaus didn't even concede that he was warmer. Too tired to deal with his roommate's issue with him, Albus changed and climbed into bed, thankful for the sinking feeling that the mattress gave as it supported his weight. The duvet enveloped him and he pulled it around him, letting the warmth of the fire and the comfort he felt being back at Hogwarts. Perhaps his new dorm arrangement tension was as a result of tiredness.

But he was satisfied that this was going to be a good year. Nothing could go wrong, that had all happened last year, right? No this year was going to be full of family, friends, food, lessons, learning and Quidditch. He could worry about Klaus and Lucy and all the other things on his mind in the morning when he was awake. Right now, sleep was beckoning and he wasn't about to resist.

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**What did you think? Lucy in Slytherin, how about that for a surprise! Below is the full list of all those who I have mentioned so far and who will be important/mentioned more than once:**

**Teddy Lupin - 2 years graduate - Ravenclaw  
Victoire Weasley - just graduated - Gryffindor  
Amelia Wells - 7th year - Ravenclaw - Head Girl  
Tom Hopper - 5th year - Gryffindor - House Prefect  
Tiffany Manner - 5th year - Gryffindor - House Prefect  
Dominique Weasley - 5th year - Ravenclaw - House Prefect  
James Potter - 4th year - Gryffindor  
Fred Weasley II - 4th year - Gryffindor  
Alex Wells - 4th year - Ravenclaw  
Scorpius Malfoy - 2nd year - Gryffindor  
Albus Potter - 2nd year - Gryffindor  
Rose Weasley - 2nd year - Gryffindor  
Shantelle Collar - 1st year - Hufflepuff  
Lorcan Scamander - 1st year - Hufflepuff  
Lysander Scamander - 1st year - Ravenclaw  
Molly Weasley - 1st year - Hufflepuff  
Lucy Weasley - 1st year - Slytherin  
Lizzie Wells - 1st year - Hufflepuff**

**I have also omitted some of the first years that are now second years because my way of putting the houses was different as to how I want it now. So I hope you enjoyed it and you look forward to the next chapter. Please leave a review with your thoughts!**


	4. Deep Anger

**HOLLA! How are you? I'm great, amplified especially by the news of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them! Who do you want to see play Newt? We don't know anything about him other than he is male...he could be a Brit, American, any race or ethnicity. How awesome is that? Someone on tumblr rightly pointed out that this will be the first time we go into a Harry Potter movie not knowing anything about the characters, plot or anything? Many people find that scary, I find it awesome!**

**So, here we have another The Second Coming Chapter! I hope you like it! This starts to bring back old memories for some of the characters and I hope you enjoy seeing some interaction between the Next Generation and the Golden Era characters!**

**Obviously, I don't own anything, all characters, places and everything else you recognise belong to JK Rowling...you know the drill, I just own the characters you don't recognise...**

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Albus smiled as he walked into the Great Hall the following morning. The sweet smell of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and cereal planted in his nostrils and he made his way over to the Gryffindor table where he had spotted the mop of white blonde hair that belonged to his best friend.

"Morning!" Scorpius was unusually cheerful for 8 o'clock in the morning. "How did you sleep?"

Albus groaned and slumped into the sleep. He was still half awake; sleeping in for long periods of time in the morning for nearly two months was not nicely broken by a rude awakening. "Fine but I hate early mornings."

Scorpius laughed and piled scrambled eggs on his plate. "Well brighten up, we get our timetables soon and then we can head to class. I hear second year Charms is really fun."

Albus rolled his eyes and reached out his hand. "Oh joys, I really want to be heading to class this morning rather than being in Devon, sleeping in every day. Can you pass the bacon? I'm really in the mood for a bacon sarnie right now."

"Did someone talk about a bacon sarnie?" A voice from behind made them jump and Albus smiled as he watched as Harry slid in on beside him and Theodore sat opposite them. "Yes please if they are going." He turned to Scorpius and Theodore. "How's Chris?"

Theodore shrugged. "Alright, a little quiet but seeing as we don't know him and he doesn't know us too well, it is understandable. What about Klaus?"

Albus frowned. "He's off, really snappy and unfriendly. He clearly doesn't want to be friends with us which kinda sucks. But I suppose it's like the same with Chris."

"Or it's because his brother was put into Hufflepuff, must be kinda bumming to have a brother who is so close in age being put in a different house." Scorpius noted. He turned to Albus. "Speaking of different houses, have you spoken to your cousins?"

Albus turned to look in the vague direction of the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables, looking for the mops of red-golden hair that meant he found his cousins. He couldn't see them at first sight but he was sure they were fine. "No," he sighed, "and in all honesty I am a little worried."

"You should be mate." Scorpius frowned. "I mean it's bad enough one year having a Malfoy put into Gryffindor," the two high-fived, "but a Weasley into Slytherin? That's got to be a Hogwarts first."

Albus pursed his lips. "That's why I'm worried. I mean, I can understand for all the good traits that Slytherins are supposed to have, why Lucy is in that house. But with such a disreputable name, I'm kind of nervous about how her parents are going to take it. I mean, Uncle Percy isn't exactly the most pro-Slytherin guy you've ever met."

Harry patted Albus on the shoulder. "Let them worry about it, your bacon sarnie is getting cold! Come on!"

Albus smiled, he could always count on Harry to distract him and he turned back to his bacon sarnie which, indeed, was starting to lose the heat that he had seen it showing just a couple of minutes earlier. He adored bacon, the smell and taste as he bit his teeth through the tough meat, and he could have it every meal of every day. In bacon sarnies, he could find peace and sanctity; it was the best thing ever.

It wasn't long, and while Albus was almost done with his second sarnie, that Professor Thomas came along the table with the new timetables. "Good morning." He spoke cheerfully and the second years greeted him with various degrees of enthusiasm to match his. "Welcome back."

"Good to see you Professor." Scorpius was the one who was the chirpiest in response. "It's good to be back. What's first on the cards?"

Professor Thomas chuckled and handed Scorpius the piece of paper that would decide his fate of the rest of the year. "You guys have charms first, don't make Professor Flitwick late. And make sure that you remain as chirpy as you are right now for the rest of the day. I doubt Professor Chang wants someone with no energy in her Potions lesson at the end of the day."

Theodore checked his timetable and raised an eyebrow with a smile. "I'm impressed Professor. Do you have every year's timetable memorised or did you just sneak a peek at our timetables and magically gain photographic memory?" his cheeky tone was not lost on the Professor who copied his raised eyebrow.

"Are you implying that you don't know something about me Mr Harrison?" He too had a cheeky tone to his voice and Theodore ducked his head in embarrassment. "Don't worry; just have a good first day. You lot have 10 minutes to grab your books and get to Charms, good luck."

And with that, he walked away with a small smile on his face. Albus checked his timetable, surprised that Professor Thomas was right. Grabbing the remains of his bacon sarnie, Albus joined the others in rising from the table and making their way, pretty fast, to the Gryffindor Tower. He smiled as he grabbed his second year Charms textbook. It felt as new as it looked with its smooth cover and elegant writing that stretched over the bright lights that was the drawing on the cover of all the spells they would be covering this year.

He wasn't alone and as soon as Harry had grabbed his book, Klaus having not bothered to wait for them, they ran down the spiral staircase and rushed out of the tower, navigating the staircases and corridors that they were sure they knew now like the back of their hand. The two boys almost tumbled into Professor Flitwick as he came out of the classroom, the bell ringing above their heads to signal the start of the lesson.

"Just in time boys, come on inside, all of you." He smiled at the boys and the two of them joined the back of the line as they made their way inside.

Albus sighed as he reached the front of the classroom, Charms with the Slytherins had been bad enough last year with the insufferable ways of Zabini and Adams but he wasn't sure that Charms with the Ravenclaws was going to be any better. He could already see that Theodore had unsubtly placed himself next to Eleanor Davies and the rest of the Ravenclaws were eying him with caution and he wasn't quite sure, the rest of their house sitting next to each other. Letting Harry slip into an empty seat next to Scorpius, Albus made his way over to Rose who was on her own at the moment who smiled as he slipped in next to her.

"Hey, the start to this lesson is a sight better than last year." She whispered with a smile.

Albus frowned, trying to remember last year. "Last year?"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You had to take Scor to the hospital wing with Edward Wood and ended up ten minutes late."

Albus smiled. "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that."

Rose didn't drop her raised eyebrow. "You forgot that you defended your best friend against some prejudiced older years who couldn't handle the change that this generation is different from that of our parents. And that your best friend had to go to the hospital wing instead of attending his first class? How on earth do you forget that?"

Albus blushed slightly and looked down. "I hadn't forgotten it; I had…pushed it to the back of my mind."

Before Rose could reply with a smart comment, Professor Flitwick coughed and the class had to fall silent. "Welcome back everyone to your second year Charms at Hogwarts. I hope you all had a good summer holiday and that you are ready to start learning again."

As much as Albus enjoyed the practical element of Charms, practising the wand movement and being able to cast the charms as mediocrely as he could, the theoretical side bored him to tears. It was just lecture after lecture, notes and yet more notes. There was some solace in the fact that the theory lectures were usually followed by a more practical element. And that would always make the majority of the class content.

The lesson dragged on for Albus, his wrist ached by the time they were dismissed. Herbology found more interest for Albus. The class had always interested him and Professor Longbottom was a cool teacher, his daughter Susanna was Lily's age and the two were best friends so it was a common topic for the both of them in the young girls they knew. However being with the Slytherins had been more the thing that had made the lesson the most interesting aspect.

It was towards the end of the lesson and they were working on looking at the properties of Mandrakes, Professor Longbottom had not let them take the actual roots out of the pot. Albus recalled in his memory a story that his father had once told him about his second year, Professor Longbottom and Mandrake Mandragora.

"You know what? I can't believe that my father couldn't take down a puny first year." Hubert's voice was snarky and he glanced at Rose as he spoke with overly loud tones.

Albus took a deep breath and he could see Rose clenching her fists underneath the table. "Yeah, I mean a puny first year that can't even have a proper Pureblood family!" Emmy Zabini nodded in agreement, sending a flirtatious look towards Hubert who smiled back.

"Shut up." Rose hissed through gritted teeth, her eyes glaring between Emmy and Hubert.

Hubert raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh, does that upset you? That we're mentioning what happened last summer?"

Albus frowned, trying not to look at the two Slytherins and concentrating on the Mandrake notes he was making to work out how to correctly apply his notes to the practical. "You know, Adams and Zabini, I'm surprised you are the ones who are trying to rile Rose up. It was your father Adams, that was defeated by Rose using tactics that you could never dream of. I fail to see how you could win in this situation."

Hubert took a deep breath, his face taking a slight pink tinge. The room had fallen silent, even Professor Longbottom was trying not to listen in but Albus suspected that he was waiting to see how far it would go before he needed to step in. "You think that you're so clever Potter. You think you and your traitor family have all the fun and glory. My father was the one who nearly infiltrated the magical world. He was so close to becoming a wizard."

It wasn't Albus who chose to retort but it seemed that he wasn't the only one who was up for bravely defending their friend. "You know, that is a pretty impressive statement to make." Scorpius' voice rose up and Al was surprised, the whole family traitor issue was a touchy topic for the boy still. "Admitting in front of half of your year peers that you, a Slytherin, is only a half-blood."

Hubert stalled momentarily but he regained his composure quickly. "Well all the greatest wizards were. Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape, they were both half-bloods and they cannot be called anything other than exceptional."

Most of the class choked on anything they had in their mouths at the time and Albus was sure he wasn't the only one to notice that Professor Longbottom had gone slightly pale and his fists were clenched so tight his knuckles had gone white. He knew the stories of Snape's hatred for his teacher as well as the fact that Neville had been a core part of the Battle of Hogwarts.

"Wait, are you claiming that Lord Voldemort and Severus Snape actually did any good?" Harry asked incredulously. "Sure, I can believe Snape as he died to protect the school; despite all the hate he gave his students and stuff. But Lord Voldemort? The darkest wizard to rule the earth since Salazar Slytherin himself? Are you actually legitimately insane Adams?"

Albus gained a lot of respect for his Herbology teacher in that moment. For while he knew that Neville was fuming about what had been said, the words and insults traded, he still kept his composure and stood up. "Well look at that second years, it is time to finish the lesson. For next week, I want you to write an essay on the properties of Mandrake and the steps you need to take in order to correctly re-pot a Mandrake. Next week, Professor MacMillan who is an excellent Herbologist, will be joining me in showing you how to execute it. Class dismissed."

It was a stony and extremely tense class that packed up their belongings, dusting off the soil that had got on their parchment and collecting their bags. Albus hung back as he waited for Rose, glaring at Hubert, Emmy and the rest of the Slytherins as they passed, the former sending them a glare that clearly told them that no hard feelings had evaporated and they were in exactly the same place as where they had left off at the end of last year.

Just as they thought they were going to leave, the other Gryffindors having left at their insistence with promises to meet them at lunch, Rose made her way over to Professor Longbottom. "Professor?" Her voice was barely a whisper but Neville looked up.

"Are you okay Rose? You mustn't listen to what an idiot like Hubert Adams tells you. Your family is the most decent I have ever met, both sets of your parents were decent to me and good friends, he has no idea what he is saying or doing." He spoke confidently but there was a slight shake in his voice.

Rose smiled gently. "Thanks Professor. Are you okay? Mum and Dad told me about Professor Snape in his teaching days and said he wasn't exactly the kindest of teachers to you."

Neville looked down. "Yeah, Snape hated my guts. But," he lifted his head and looked at Rose and Albus, "I found out soon after the reason. And I knew it wasn't just because I was completely rubbish at attempting Potions." He smiled. "One day, you will find out that there is a deeper reason for Hubert's words and actions. I'm afraid our trials are just tests of our patience. One day you will know, just be patient." He looked up to the castle. "I'm proud to still call this place home, and one day I never thought I would. Now why don't you run up and grab a good seat at the Gryffindor table with your friends. Lunch awaits and I have a feeling I am not the only one in this room with a rumbling stomach."

Albus smiled as did Rose. "Thanks Professor." She spoke, a lot more confident than before. "See you next week."

As they sprinted back up to the castle, Albus noticed that Neville's words really had meant something to Rose. She seemed happier, her gait lighter and her face that little bit more smiling. Perhaps Herbology would be a little more bearable, knowing that they had the Professor on their side.

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**What do you think? Did you enjoy it? Do you think I took the last part too far or that it wasn't convincing on anyone's part?**

**Please review, I really appreciate knowing that people are enjoying (or not) this story!**


	5. Food Glorious Food

**HOLLA! So here, quite quickly, is another chapter! I really appreciate all your reviews so please do review, it makes me want to continue this story!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is quite random but we get to know a couple of the first years and the aftermarth of Professor Longbottom's talk with Rose. ENJOY!**

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It was hard to remain in a bad mood when food was concerned, especially sausages and mashed potatoes. It was one of Albus' favourite meals, okay he had loads of them but good old bangers and mash was a family and personal favourite. Of course many things had to be factored in but as long as the sausages weren't burnt, the gravy was nice and thick and there was no potato skin in the mash, he still failed to understand this idea, he was content. And so the second evening of his second year at Hogwarts had made him very happy indeed.

Scorpius chuckled at the happy smile that had spread across his friend's face towards the end of the meal. "Are you in paradise Al?" He joked.

Albus laughed. "I think so, that nearly beat Grandma's version." Scorpius raised an eyebrow, it took a great deal to beat Molly Weasley's cooking, he knew from experience. Albus rolled his eyes at his friend's expression. "I said nearly Scor, not actually. No, nothing can actually beat Grandma's cooking, that's a fact."

Scorpius nodded his agreement. "Hey Rose!" He greeted the third member of their best friend trio as she ran up to them, her Weasley red hair flowing out behind her. "Are you okay after Herbology?"

Rose smiled. "Yeah, I talked to Professor Longbottom and he was really kind, gave me some good advice about sticking up for myself against people who think they're better than me and can push me around."

Scorpius looked down, shame glaring in his eyes. "And I wonder where he learnt those lessons from." His voice was bitter, perhaps things between him and his father were still not completely fine and dandy as they had first appeared last time Albus had brought up the rather delicate subject.

Rose sat down in an empty spot next to Scorpius and looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. "Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, stop being so hard on yourself! You bear a name that has been scarred by the actions of your recent ancestors but that by no means has to dictate what you say and do. Don't let the prejudice of others stop you from being yourself, man up!" She laughed slightly and it brought a smile to his face.

Albus also smiled, proudly, at his cousin. She was growing more like her mother in her uncanny ability to attempt to make people feel better, she was just better than her mother was. "You're right Rose." Scorpius took a deep breath and smiled before getting to his feet. "You have eaten right? Al here is a balloon about to burst he's eaten so much."

Rose laughed properly this time. "It is bangers and mash Scor; you should have seen the last time Al was given that. And yes, I have."

Scorpius offered a hand and Albus rolled his eyes at their unsubtle hints of flirtation at each other which the other seemed strangely to not be noticing. "Well then, milady, may I escort you to the Gryffindor Tower for sub-secs?"

Rose bit back a laugh and nodded, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Why thank you Sir Malfoy, you may!"

Climbing off the bench, she took his arm and Albus followed at a safe distance as they wound their way up the seven flights of stairs back 'home' they might say. Not however for to go to bed, as many might have wished, but to sub-secs which had been moved to post-food due to a prefect meeting taking place when they would normally occur. Albus wondered who the new head of Dumbledore would be, now that Victoire was gone, and who was going to tell them?

His question was answered as they clambered through the portrait hole and found a place near Theodore and Harry who were waiting patiently, having not seen them since Herbology, which was not going to be discussed by anyone at present by a silent agreement. At the front of the room stood Professor Thomas who smiled at the assembled house, a piece of parchment in his left hand which Albus presumed held the answers to the questions he had.

Once he was sure that everyone was present, the teacher held up a hand and it took only a minute or so for everyone to fall quiet. They weren't Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs; of course they were going to be curious to see how long everyone could defy the order.

"Good evening students, and welcome to the first sub-sec meetings of the year. First years, you have already been told which one you are in and everyone is the same. As we do not have a head girl or boy from Gryffindor house this year, it falls to me to tell you who will be your head of sub-sec this academic year." He brought up the piece of parchment for all to see. "For the Potter sub-sec: Orlando Hinson." A polite round of applause rang out and a blonde curly haired boy stood, nodded once and then sat back down. "For the Weasley sub-sec: Jack Wenham." Another round of applause went up, slightly louder than before and Albus clapped although he couldn't see the boy. "For the McGonagall sub-sec: Queenie Palmer." A cheer that was the loudest went up and a girl with ringlet black hair stood and waved before sitting once more. "And for the Dumbledore sub-sec: Willow Asibey." A dark-skinned girl with bright wide eyes and dreadlocks to Albus' right stood and grinned wide, enjoying the applause. "Well done you four, I look forward to our bi-weekly meetings. Your head of sub-sec will now lead you to your room, have a good meeting."

Now dismissed to go to the meeting, Albus scrambled to his feet and bade goodbye to his friends before following Willow up the winding staircases, the two flights that lead to their room. Its position hadn't changed from last year and Albus happily positioned himself on a beanbag that was free, next to a fourth year that Albus vaguely recognised from somewhere. He was sure he would remember eventually but now it escaped him.

There were only two new additions to the Dumbledore sub-sec, the differing influx of new house members had meant that while there were three of them in Albus' year, him, Elizabeth and Isabelle, the ten from this year meant two sub-secs had to have a lower number. Willow stood at the front, a little nervous but a smile on her face. She had seen three years' worth of heads of sub-secs; she was perhaps one of the most experienced people to be able to deliver the speech.

She bit her lip and coughed, the group falling silent. "Hi guys, I'm Willow by the way! If you hadn't worked that out already." There was a cheer from her fellow seventh years, the other three of them that were. Clearly she wasn't exactly a non-existent in the group that was her year. "Um, so we have two new members to Dumbledore sub-sec. why don't you stand and tell us a little bit about yourselves?"

The girl stood, her blonde ringlets falling down to just below her shoulders. "Hi, I'm Rhian Ithath. I'm half-Muggle, half-wizard as my dad is a Muggle. My mum was in Hufflepuff while she was here but I'm glad to be in Gryffindor all the same."

There was a polite round of applause as she sat down and the boy stood, his golden brown hair flat on his head as if he was trying to keep it down. "Hi, I'm James Gordon, both my parents are wizards and like Rhian, they weren't in Gryffindor while they were here. But I was hoping to be in a different house to them to prove I'm not an exact replica of them, so I'm very glad to be a part of this house."

Willow smiled as James sat down once more. "It is so good to have you with us. I hope you will make Gryffindor proud this year, earn us lots of house points and help us get a second consecutive house cup victory." There were many smirks at this and Albus caught Edward Wood's eye, the Quidditch captain giving him a broad smile in return. "Edward, do you have any Quidditch team notices?" Willow turned to the sixth year.

Edward nodded and stood. "I'm not sure whether I will be holding trials this year, we haven't lost any members of our team but I will be coming to watch the flying lessons of the first and second years to see if there is anything I have missed in terms of promising talent for any reserve spaces."

Willow grinned. "I really hope the team is still up to scratch, we want to defend our Quidditch cup as well. Albus," she turned to Al and the boy was surprised that she knew his name, "you still good with your Wronski Feint?"

Albus grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "I need to practise but I don't see why I haven't got any worse since the last game I played."

"Good," the approval in her voice rang clear, "glad to hear it. Right, well there isn't anything really to say in this first meeting. Don't forget that as Gryffindor house is your wider family, the sub-section is the family that you can come to if you have any problems. What is said is confidential between members when it needs to be although in severe cases of things such as bullying, self-harm or other such things that may harm you or someone else, it is mandatory that you take the issue to me or go straight to Professor Thomas. We do not suffer in silence here. We are here for each other. Any questions?" There was a pause as she looked around the room, followed by a comfortable silence. "Okay, great, see you guys same time or after lessons next week. Oh actually, if James and Rhian could come and see me afterwards to get your communicators."

She nodded and the meeting broke, Al jumping to his feet and making his way with the crowd as the group of students made their way out of the sub-sec room and down the stairs towards the dormitories and the common room. Albus paused by the fire in the common room, unsure as to whether to go back up to the dormitories and to fall asleep as he was slowly starting to feel as if a warm fire and a nice bed would do him some good. But it was a good idea to let his friends know, in case they would be wondering.

He moved across the room and sat down by the chess set. It was empty at present and so he set up a new game, the old one with a clever checkmate that Albus made a mental note of to try to use next time. He wasn't left alone for very long, a small dirty blonde haired girl sat across the table from him. "Do you play?" She asked brightly before offering a hand. "Eleanor Cowes, first year."

Albus took the hand. "Albus Potter, second year." He indicated the chess set. "Do you want a match? Some say I was the best in the lower years last year."

Eleanor smirked. "Some say? I wonder if I can change it. You play first."

Albus raised an eyebrow, a challenge from a girl who is merely a kid. Thinking quickly and carefully, not knowing the girl's skills made his dilemma that little bit trickier, he played his first move right, keeping a complete poker face as she replied in kind. She was a good player, he could not deny that. She knew many of the tricks of the trade, playing complicated multiple tricky moves but he knew how to get the better of them. Like the first time that he played Scorpius, the game drew a fair crowd. It was as if despite Gryffindor's volatile nature as a house, it was a Ravenclaw-esque game that drew the crowds, other than Quidditch.

It took nearly half an hour for the game to end. The game was tight throughout the whole game, only one or two points separated the two of them and it was with a relieved sigh that Albus played his final move. "Checkmate." He smiled, moving his bishop three squares diagonally to face the king in a way out that couldn't be broken.

A cheer broke out and Eleanor nodded, impressed. "Good game." She admitted. "I thought I had you there for a minute."

Albus shook her outstretched hand. "You're not so bad yourself Eleanor. Maybe Gryffindor has a chance this year." They smiled at each other before resetting the board.

Albus smiled as Scorpius clapped him on the back, the two of them making their way towards the second year dormitory. He was glad that this year had got off to a start like last year, good. He just hoped that this year would continue in the fashion that this year had started in, not the way that it had gone last year. He liked to think that it would be a normal year this year, that nothing could go wrong and he could finally claim something that his father and brother could never claim, that he had had a normal year at school. Even James had managed, in his first year at Hogwarts, to get into too many scrapes to mention with Fred and his friends.

They climbed up and parted their separate ways at the two doors. "I'll see you tomorrow morning; I hope Klaus is a little less brash tonight." Scorpius joked and Albus nodded, very much agreeing with what he was saying.

He opened the door, slightly thankful that Klaus was already asleep. Changing quickly, he climbed gratefully into bed, glad that sleep was here. He was going to have a good week, a good month, a good year, he was sure of it.

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	6. Encouragement and Explanations

**HOLLA! I'm back once more! I managed to write this really fast hence the really quick update so I hope you enjoy it! This goes back to Grimmauld Place for part of it and while some of it is revision, we see it from another's view now.**

**I'm really starting to lose faith in this story, I know where it is going but I feel that no one is reading this and no one is expressing their views on if they like it or not. So unless I get some huge boost in the form of reviews, the next chapter will be my last and we will go on hiatus for a while until I have the will to write this again.**

**I hope you enjoy this and if you cannot remember/don't know why Lily has a scar, look at Chapter 5 of The Newborns (formerly What Happens When Another 6 Come Flying By)**

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The sun broke through the curtains, falling on her cheek that was still tainted with the slightly faint scar that still ran down her cheek. It was a scar that would never go away no matter how hard she tried, no matter how old she grew and how many appointments she attended at St Mungo's. It was a scar hat would remain both physically and mentally in her memory. The rays of the golden sun stroked her cheek with gentle kindness as it prised her eyes open, waking her up from the throes of slumber and into the next day.

She blinked her eyes open, rubbing them and blinking blearily as she took in her surroundings, the same surroundings she had woken up to for the last 9 years. Very light blue walls painted delicately on the wall that was decorated with photos of nature interspersed with photos of the entirety of her immediate and extended family. There was something that was rather depressing about being the youngest in the family. Sure she managed to get away with a lot of things as she was the baby of the family but it meant that she was alone. Hugo and Roxanne were good company when they were around but seeing as she was in London, Hugo was in Devon and Roxanne was on the other side of London and both her parents worked.

She looked at the clock by her bedside before smiling, 10 days until she turned 11. There were only ten days until she received her Hogwarts letter, confirming her place at the school. At least she was pretty certain she would be accepted, she had seen odd things happen that she knew was due to her uncontrollable magic. Soon though, once she had a wand, she would be able to control her magic. Soon she would be able to understand and learn about what made her so special, so different from all the Muggles that she had interacted with so many times. She had been at Muggle primary school for the last two years of her life and the friends she had made would be very hard to stay in contact when she went to Hogwarts.

However it was a Saturday today and so there was no need for any school trips, any homework to be handed in on the various different subjects that were crucial to her own learning in the Muggle world but would be fascinating to compare to Hogwarts subjects. Her dad shouldn't have to be working today and there had been talk of a visit to London Zoo which her father had quickly squashed any plans of if he was going. Lily was sure that must have something to do with when he was a child and she probably honestly didn't want to know, especially if it involved big and dangerous animals like snakes or rhinos or bears. She could handle elephants and lions, they were majestic creatures but it was the ones that could be dangerous and might not be at the same time that she wasn't so keen on.

Slipping out of bed, Lily grabbed her lilac dressing gown from the back of her bedroom door and made her way out of the room. If there was one thing that Albus and Lily could have a really deep and intellectual conversation about, as much a one as a 12 and 10 year old could have, was food. Both of them seemed to live for food and so it was no surprised that it was the alluring smell of bacon and egg bread that brought Lily down the flights of stairs at Grimmauld Place and to the kitchen that was now brimming with flavours that she could almost taste on the tip of her tongue.

But her face fell as she saw the sight before her. It wasn't that she adored seeing her father on a Saturday morning. She just didn't like seeing him in a business suit which was a dead giveaway sign that he was going into work. Perhaps he thought it was a work day and he had got his days mixed up. That would make more sense than him being ready to go at 10am on a Saturday morning.

"Morning daddy." She smiled and kissed her father on the cheek on her way to the fridge. "You do know it's a Saturday morning right?" Harry nodded, his mouth now full with the egg bread. "So why are you in your work clothes?"

Harry sighed before looking at his daughter, the innocence in her eyes was so assuring in some ways. "Lils, do you remember when I had to go up and stay with Aunty Luna and Uncle Rolf for a few days over the summer, when it was raining a lot?"

Lily nodded. "Something had happened to Lorcan, Mummy told me that much." She frowned slightly. "I'm not five anymore dad, you can tell me what it is."

Harry looked at his youngest child, his only daughter. She had grown up so much since the events at Hogwarts at the end of last year. She had faced the fear of losing family and a friend as much as her older brothers had. She was no longer a child, she was turning into a teenager and perhaps it was time for her to learn the truth.

"Lily, have your mother or I, or your brothers for that matter, ever mentioned creatures called Dementors?" Lily shook her head, she didn't like the sound of them and she was certain already she didn't fancy encountering one. "Dementors guard the wizard prison Azkaban."

Lily brightened; she recognised that word at least. "Isn't that the place that Sirius broke out of when you were 13?"

Harry smiled ruefully with a nod, glad to hear one of his children listened to his stories. "Yes, but Azkaban is not a pretty place. Dementors cannot see, they find their victims based on their scent. They cannot differentiate between the one they seek and the one who stands in their way." Lily shivered, they did sound horrific. Harry frowned slightly. "Are you sure you want to know Lily?"

Lily paused in thought before nodding; she wanted to understand what her friends had gone through and the very real threats that faced her friends and family today. "Yes, I want to be able to understand and not be left in the dark all the time."

Harry took a deep breath before continuing, well aware he had to face reality himself soon enough. "Over the last month, we in the Auror department have been detecting a large number of Dementors abandoning Azkaban, giving the few prisoners that remain a chance to escape. Dementors are supposed to remain there at all times under the Ministry's control but something or someone seems to have some kind of control over them. They are targeting children, children of people with positions of power."

Lily paled. "So what did they do to Lorcan? What happened?"

Harry kept his gaze fixed on Lily. "Dementors do not kill Lily; they perform what is known as the Dementor's Kiss. It doesn't just kill someone, it sucks their soul out." Lily's eyes opened wide but it was clear she wanted to know more. "Dementors were sent to the Scamander household and they target, for reasons unknown, Lorcan and not Lysander. It was only Sander's quick thinking in waking his parents that saved Lorcan. Luna was able to perform the only known counter curse to repel a Dementor, the Patronus Charm."

"The Patronus Charm." Lily murmured. "It sounds nice."

Harry smiled slightly at her simplicity. "Dementors feed off fear and misery. To conjure the Patronus Charm, you have to summon to mind your happiest memory and that helps get rid of the fear that the Dementors make you feel. You've seen your mother and I produce Patronus Charms. You've seen my stag and your mum's horse?" Lily nodded in excitement. "That is what is conjured in a Patronus charm; the animal is different for each person. Professor Dumbledore specially adapted them so that we can use them to communicate with others who know about them." He stood, draining the last of his pumpkin juice. "There have been more attacks last night. Do you remember meeting my friends Padma and Parvati?"

Lily frowned before nodding. "They're both married, Parvati has a set of twins in Albus' year and Padma has a son my age."

Harry nodded. "Tobias, yes. Well," he bit his lip, "Padma works high up in the Ministry, I can't tell you what, but her house was attacked by Dementors. Toby is fine but very shaken."

Lily paled suddenly. "Will they ever come here?"

Harry pulled her into a fierce hug. "We have charms cast around the house that makes it virtually impossible for any Dementor to penetrate. It is why we have a Caterwauling Charm in case anything does happen." He knelt down at looked at his daughter in the eye. "I will not let them harm you."

Lily nodded, soaking up her father's scent from his clothes. "Thank you daddy."

He smiled gently as he pulled from the hug. "Now, why don't you finish off my bacon for me and i think we should be expecting Tonks soon and no doubt the boys will enjoy some cupcakes."

Lily grinned; she adored making them for her brothers. As her father was about to leave the kitchen, she spoke once more. "Daddy?"

Harry turned. "Yes sweetheart?"

She pursed her lips in thought. "Is Lucy going to change, now that she's in Slytherin? Will she turn out bad?"

Harry shook his head immediately. "Lils, Lucy was put into Slytherin for a very good reason that I don't know. It isn't just the house of the bad guys; Al is named after a Slytherin."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah and he was the bravest man you ever knew…we've heard the story before."

Harry chuckled. "Exactly. But times are changing and I think that once Uncle Percy has got over the shock that neither of his daughters are in Gryffindor, he will understand. We have to stop believing in old prejudices. The Sorting Hat wanted to put me into Slytherin." Lily gaped at him but he merely waved. "Tell your mother I'll hopefully be home in time for supper and I'll let you know if not."

Lily nodded. "Okay, bye!"

Harry smiled and stopped just outside the door, ready to Apparate. He hadn't thought about his niece's sorting that much but he had meant what he had said. Times were changing, people were too and it was time that attitude did as well.

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It didn't take very long for the news of more attacks to reach Hogwarts and security was getting tighter. Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled for the moment as there were many children within the protected walls who had parents in the Ministry of Magic which appeared to the particular target. Albus stuck closer to his friends than ever but he still hadn't had a chance to speak to his cousins and the Scamander twins. He wanted to make sure they were okay and he was pretty sure that what had happened to Lorcan had something to do with the attacks although his parents had never spoken in great detail about it.

He managed to finally catch Lorcan and Molly one day at lunch, the two of them making their way to the Hufflepuff table. "Hey guys." Albus grinned as he slid next to them.

Both greeted him with warmth. "Hey Al, how is second year?" Molly asked with a smile.

Albus rolled his eyes. "You think you got it bad with homework this year, just wait until next year. I swear they must be trying to make sure we don't have a social life." The two first years laughed and Albus cracked a smile. "How is Hufflepuff? I haven't had a chance to speak to you guys properly since the Sorting."

Lorcan grinned. "It's great, sure we got asked so many times in the first week if we really are the children of our parents but it's a natural curiosity and they've stopped now."

Molly nodded. "The house is just like one big family, we aren't as rowdy as Gryffindor or intent on learning absolutely everything like the Ravenclaws but we are happy. The other people in our year are really nice, although Cillian is a bit of a pain, always complaining that he wasn't put into Gryffindor like his brother."

Lorcan groaned. "Tell me about it, I'm in his dorm and either he's complaining or asleep or not there. I think he's not used to being sociable or he doesn't want to be. I'm pretty sure he'll get over it soon."

Albus rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Klaus is in my ear and he's as much of a pain, just less vocal. Maybe they would have been better off switching places."

Lorcan shrugged. "Who knows?"

Albus glanced at the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables that were on either side. "Have you guys had a chance to talk to Sander or Lucy yet?"

Molly nodded. "We sit next to them in the lessons we share but not really outside. I thought Lucy would hate Slytherin but I think she's enjoying it and she hasn't changed from the Lucy we knew back home."

Lorcan nodded. "And Lysander was always the smarter one of the two of us; he adores Ravenclaw and has some good friends there. I'm happy for him."

Albus nodded, glad to know that his friends were happy and safe. "Have you guys made friends in the house and the year?"

Both of them nodded but before they could say anything, a bright voice appeared beside them. "Hi Molly, hi Lorcan!"

All three turned to see a young girl in the first year with jet black curls, bright eyes and a yellow Hufflepuff tie. "Hi Shancy." Molly turned to Albus. "Al, this is Shantelle Collar, she's in my dorm. Shancy, this is Albus Potter my cousin."

Shantelle smiled gently and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you Albus." Albus took it. "Have you guys seen Lizzie? Her sister Amelia just caught me and asked to pass on a message to her."

The four of them looked around and Albus stopped as they reached the Hufflepuff table. "I better go, I think Rose wanted to discuss the Charms homework we were given." He smiled at them. "Nice to meet you Shantelle, I'll see you guys around."

They waved goodbye and Albus turned, heading towards his own house. As he passed the Ravenclaw table, he saw that Lorcan had been right. Lysander did look happy, surrounded by his first year friends. Maybe there was little reason to worry about his friends and family. He had other things like Quidditch, his own friends and the ever growing pile of homework that sat in his school bag.

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**What did you think? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Please tell me what you think, the reviews are what I live for because otherwise I get discouraged that no one seems to take an interest in it.**


	7. Oh no

**HOLLA! Thank you to the one person who reviewed the story who encouraged me to keep writing. Please do review, I feel as if no one is enjoying this story at all. Even if you aren't enjoying it, tell me because I need to know that people are actually reading it...**

**I hope you like this advance in the story!**

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"And where exactly do you think you are going on this fine Saturday morning?" Albus enquired as he caught up with his second year cousin as she walked out of the Gryffindor Tower, following a lazy morning of breakfast and beating Scorpius at chess. He had Quidditch practise later but that meant he had a good four hours to fill with having lunch, making attempts at his homework and then giving up, but that meant he was still free to hang out.

Rose shrugged nonchalantly. "The library." She replied evenly, unfazed by her cousin's impatient expression and double time pace to keep up with her.

"And why would you be heading to the library when we have such gorgeous weather?" Albus asked, it seemed ridiculous that she would be going anywhere else other than outside where the sun was shining and there were friendships to be built.

Rose rolled her eyes and stopped, regarding Albus with a cool expression. "No one seems interested in finding out what has caused the Dementors to stray from Azkaban. I am interested."

Albus widened his eyes. "Are you freaking crazy? It isn't that we aren't interested; it's that we don't want to know! Last year was bad enough; I doubt anyone wants a repeat of what happened at Beauxbatons or what is happening around the country."

"Which is exactly why I want to stop it as soon as possible." Rose was struggling not to raise her voice. She breathed in and out deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose to try and understand where Albus was coming from. "I don't want a repeat of last year as much as you do, I was the main spectacle remember?"

Albus ducked his head, he should have remembered. "I'm sorry Rose; I didn't mean to be rude."

Rose shook her head. "No, I understand, we were all affected last year. I just want to get this over and done, I want to try and help our family, friends and everyone at the Ministry to try and work out what is going on."

Albus tilted his head and looked at her, a small frown on his face. She was completely serious; it seemed as if she had never come across the phrase 'normal school year'. "You're really sure about this, aren't you?" She nodded eagerly and he glanced longingly out of the window at the beautiful sunshine before sighing and nodding. "Fine then, I'll come with you."

Rose jumped for joy and hugged him. "Thanks Al! Right, let's go!"

Albus had to admit that if there was another place in the school that he loved, other than Gryffindor Tower, the Quidditch Pitch and the Great Hall, it was the library. Despite the fact that he wasn't overly keen on studying, he adored the smell of old books and being able to look at some of the more fascinating books that had been written about different aspects of Hogwarts and the wizarding world's history. He knew that his particular favourites lay in the history of the schools around the world from the European schools of Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, the Salem Institute in the United States and so many others. To read about how they trained their students and the different approach to teaching they had, as completely fascinating to Albus.

But as the cousins entered the library on this particular day, Albus shook his head and had to remind himself that he wasn't here to lose himself in a good book but to find out things and to learn. Rose looked around the room, oak panels lining the edge, great stacks of books rising up above them on shelves with ornate design. Thick desks and high backed chairs, perfect for studying, littered the room that you couldn't see all corners of; they were lost in the self-made walls of paper that surrounded them.

"Where do we start?" Albus turned around, a book on the history of Dementors attacks could be anywhere in this room. There were only a few students, mostly fifth and seventh years who were already intent on doing their best in the NEWTs and OWLs. Most of the school were either outside as Albus had planned or were elsewhere, perhaps catching up on sleep following an Astronomy lesson.

Rose pursed her lips and ran her finger down the list on the piece of paper that was stuck on this side of one of the shelves. It held valuable information in the form of the kinds of books that each section in the library held. Finally she smiled as she found what she was looking for, 'Magical Beasts, B3, that's what we want!"

Albus had a sneaky suspicion that Dementors were unlikely to come up in many books that they found. James hadn't studied them and Dominique seemed to know very little about them, he hadn't asked Victoire. Somehow being granted permission to enter the Restricted Section of the library seemed more likely than being able to find Dementors in one of these books. But Rose didn't seem fazed by the at least 60 or so books that loomed up before them. In fact, her eyes seemed to brighten and a small triumphant smile spread across her lips.

"You do know I only have three hours right and that's including me needing to change for practise and grabbing my broom?" Albus asked as Rose grabbed the nearest books and checked the names of the covers.

She nodded absent-mindedly. "Grab all the books here; thank goodness no one else is here. Put them on the table and when we've got about ten, we can start."

"Doing what?" Albus queried, he was still slightly unsure of what exactly they needed to be looking for but pulled a handful of books off the shelf anyway and took them over.

Rose ignored his question and brought over her stack. Albus sat opposite her and opened the first book 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them'. "I'm going to make our lives a lot easier."

Smiled and drew her wand. "Geminio." She whispered, tapping the top of the spine gently and to his amazement, an exact copy of the book appeared on the table beside her. She handed the original book back to Albus with smile. "Start making a new pile and once I've done these, we can put the originals back in their place."

Albus smiled uncertainly, he liked what Rose was doing although he didn't see how it could affect the speed of their search. It didn't take long for Rose to copy the 15 books they had on the table and soon 30 books sat in two identical piles. He got up and he heard Rose grabbing some parchment from her bag as he put them back in their alphabetical order on the shelf. When he returned to the desk, Rose was copying the books again and judging by the look of intense concentration on her face, suggested to Albus that he shouldn't interrupt her.

When she was done, he spoke again. "Why did you just copy the copies?" He was as confused as he sounded.

Rose simply smiled. "Just in case I accidently set fire to the first one in my attempt to complete a fourth year spell which I'll do right about now."

"What does it do?" Albus slid back into his seat, slightly amazed and apprehensive at the idea.

Rose smiled and took a deep breath before muttering the spell underneath her breath. Albus' mouth dropped open in awe as numbers began to lift off the pages of the book and settle onto the blank piece of parchment in front of her. "It does that."

Albus looked at the numbers, the first were a range of one, two or three digit numbers but the second ones were only one or two digits, ranging between 1 and 16. He could figure it out, he wasn't so stupid! It had to be something simple. He stared at the numbers for a long time, well perhaps a couple of minutes before shaking his head. "No, I don't get it. What are they?"

Rose was tearing up pieces of paper and writing one set of numbers before inserting it into the book. "Page and line numbers. It tells us where Dementors are mentioned in this book, I got Dom to teach me last year, saved me so much time come the need for revision."

"That's so cool." Albus whispered in awe and then his face took on a look of indignation. "And why didn't you tell me about this?"

Rose snorted. "Im good but I'm not that good, I couldn't teach you how to do it. Anyway," she smiled, "I'm sure Dom will teach you this year now you know it exists." She offered the now parchment strip inserted book to Albus. "Can you look at all the places and see if it Dementor attacks? If there's something that's similar to now, we might be able to use that to link the two. Anything that might help us, note down the title, page and line reference. It isn't as if we have to take these out to get them out of the library if you have to go. But the charm only last a few hours so we will have to look hard and fast. I'll start on the other books and then finding all the reference."

Albus nodded and took the book gladly, it didn't seem like that hard work and it was worth being able to spend some time with a cousin he hadn't seen often outside of class, their friendship circles were different with only Scorpius as their link. Like with reading about other school across the world, Albus found himself rather enjoy looking at fact about the Dementors, despite being terrifying things and pretty much scaring him senseless, fiercely hoping that he would never have to face them.

The work was not exactly successful until he was half way through the fourth book he had 'Darker Creatures to Roam Our Lands' that seemed to border on needing to be in the Restricted Section as there was a good 50 pages on Dementors alone. It was almost time for Albus to go, Quidditch practise calling and he had four flights of stairs to find his way up to the Gryffindor Tower before he could cheat and fly across the open skies to the pitch. He secretly rather enjoyed that, the thrill of the teachers not knowing and the freedom that flying gave him.

It was half way down the list of set of numbers he had been given by Rose and it was a small paragraph that disturbed him more than he liked. "Rose," he spoke slowly and she looked up, "you're going to want to see this. I don't like it at all."

Rose took the book Albus was offering and looked at the line he was pointing to. "Oh Albus." She gasped as she read. "This is bad, very bad."

For the book had reminded them once more that they were never safe even within the boundaries of Hogwarts and that was what frightened them most of all.

'_The most recently recorded set of attacks on witches and wizards by Dementors was in 2001 where an unknown party, believed to be male and in his early 20s, used a synthesised form of the Imperius Curse to control the cloaked figures to attack the children of high profile ministers in the Ministry. A suspect, Albert Rockwell, was arrested but was later released without charge.'_

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	8. Attack For A Reason

**HOLLA! I'm back! This is the latest chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

**I should warn you though that this story is most likely not going to be updated until December. I am taking part in NaNoWriMo, a competition where you write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, in November. That means I have to write at least 1,600 words every day! Hence for this reason it is highly unlikely I will be able to update until December.**

**I hope you understand and enjoy this chapter. See you then!**

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"You have got to be kidding me." Albus glared at the Slytherins in front of him. "What happened to practise? I thought we were supposed to be training this afternoon?"

It was just over two weeks since Rose and Albus had had the revelation and neither of them had done much more than send the details to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione so that they could use it as they pleased. Whether I would be used in the end was another matter altogether. But the Quidditch season was approaching and Gryffindor's first match was against Hufflepuff in a week's time. And therefore there seemed to be no reason why Slytherin, who didn't play Ravenclaw for three weeks, should feel the need to book the pitch when the Gryffindor team had their weekly slot.

The Slytherin captain, a sour faced seventh year, smirked. "Well isn't that unfortunate Wood, just when you need to practise for your game."

"We book out the pitch every week in this slot; you have no right to be here." Wood was getting a little on the hot-headed side.

The girl tilted her head to the side and Albus got a funny feeling in his stomach that this wasn't going to turn out well. "Professor Zabini gave us a note that allows us to practise."

Wood held out his hand and the girl handed it to him. Albus peered over at the note and a thought suddenly struck him, an idea but James had beaten him to it. "You need Professor Scamander's signature on that slip to overrule a pitch booking, there isn't one on there."

Albus grinned and smirks were now spread across the faces of all the Gryffindor team. The Slytherin captain glared at Wood. "You won't get away with this Wood, we will get the pitch."

"Good luck Belby, I'm sure you will succeed." Wood spat, his voice full of venom and sarcasm. He turned to the rest of his team. "Come on, they're wasting our time."

Albus threw a smirk on the direction of Hubert Adams who glared right back at him before mounting his broom with others and flying off, leaving a seriously annoyed Slytherin Quidditch team behind them. "They aren't going to let us forget that in a hurry, are they" Albus asked Edward as they flew.

The sixth year shook his head. "Probably not but there's no need to worry, we can Slytherin's ass any day in a duel or on the Quidditch pitch. Don't fret Al, us Gryffindors stick together so if you or any of the others get any stick from them, you won't find yourself alone for very long.

Albus smiled, reassured by the older boy's words. He could always rely on his family; both house and blood, to keep an eye out for him and be there for him as he was for them. It was often what made Gryffindor seem like a reckless house. It was bravery and camaraderie disguised as recklessness. And that was what he liked about the house, there was as much a sense of friendship and loyalty but the bond from sticking up for each other and helping anther out in battle, seemed to make it stronger than the other houses.

Albus was glad for one that his aunt and uncle hadn't contacted him further about the Dementor attacks. It was Rose who was being the reckless one, he would much rather not get involved in stuff that would put him in danger. He for one was extremely happy to get through Hogwarts with as little hassle and scare as possible. He could leave all the dangerous stuff to the professionals, namely his dad, the Aurors and the Ministry of Magic. Somehow he doubted being a Quidditch columnist would come in much hand when it came to dealing with dodgy stuff like Dementors but he'd heard that his mum had quite a few tricks up her sleeve so who knew?

No, Albus wanted to focus on Quidditch and studies. So attacks by Slytherins would be much more of a nuisance than anything. And Klaus hadn't changed his attitude since Albus had first properly encountered him. According to Scorpius and Theodore, Chris was quite amicable, exchanging pleasantries in the dorm room and laughing over the day's events with them, but Klaus was just as surly and moody as when he had started out. Perhaps it was just his personality, Albus certainly hoped it didn't have anything to do with the fact that they had basically ignored him and Chris all of last year.

And his desire for a relatively peaceful year was the reason he found himself sighing as, on his way to the Great Hall to lunch three days after the encounter with the Slytherin team, he 'just happened' to run into trouble with a group of Slytherin second and third years, among them Hubert and a chaser on the team he didn't know the name of.

"Oh well look at this, where's your back up Potter?" One of the third years with a sneer on his face, spoke, his wand trained between Albus' eyes.

Albus proceeded to roll said eyes. "You do remember that magic is banned in the corridors right?" He tried to reason, words were always better than actions in these circumstances.

Hubert snorted. "Only if a teacher sees it Potter. You and the rest of your team are so dead, no one denies our team their practise time."

"What, when the team doesn't even have the right to practise?" Albus spoke evenly, their argument was petty and he was only afraid of the spells they might cast and he might not be able to block. "The Slytherin captain should know the rules of overruling a booking, even I know that rule. Do you really think the rules don't apply to you?"

The third year chaser stepped forward, a cruel smirk on her face. "You don't know the influence Belby has. Do you know who her father is?"

Albus raised his eyes momentarily as he thought about it. "Yeah, he's in the Ministry somewhere."

"Somewhere?" She snorted. "He's one of the best Aurors the Ministry has, that gives her a lot of leverage over here."

"Then you clearly seem to fail what the names Potter and Weasley mean in the Ministry Villous." An amused vice came from behind Albus and he turned, smiling as he saw Dominique strolling towards them, wand in hand and prefect badge gleaming on her chest. "Heads of the Auror department and Head of Magical Creature Welfare seem to carry far more weight than Belby." Her smile grew wider but the chaser's did not.

"Muggle lovers, all of them." She spat back. "And pathetic Gryffindors, Slytherins are far braver than any Gryffindor, better at everything. Gryffindor is scum and anyone there is not worth our time."

"Oh and you still feel that way after your brother was placed there?" Dominique quipped and it struck Albus as to where he had recognised the surname, in this year's sorting. "Does that make Arthur a traitor to your family, joining Gryffindor? Because Lucy being in Slytherin sure hasn't changed anything on our side."

That shut her up. Like Albus, Dom's use of words got her further than her magical talent although she excelled in both equally. Dominique slung an arm around Albus' shoulder. "Shall we go to lunch Dom?" Albus smiled, a little more confident that they weren't going to be attacked.

Dominique laughed. "Sounds good to me." She glanced at the group of Slytherins who were now looking a little confused and unsure. "I will report you next time I see an attack with verbal or physical, thanks to the Quidditch confusion and Professor Scamander could easily cancel Quidditch for good. Don't let your house pride get in the way of something that unites us all."

The last word spoken, Dominique guided Albus away. "Do you really think Luna would do that?" Albus queried, slightly confused as to why anyone would do that in the first place.

Dom laughed, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Of course not Al. Luna may not have played the game or had any obsession like some people we know but she sure wouldn't do something as radical as that. No, I just said that to scare them. Looks like it did the trick."

Albus nodded and parted from his cousin as they entered the Great Hall, heading towards the Gryffindor table. "Hey Al!" He heard a cry behind him and he smiled as he saw Harry running up towards him, his hair strangely a violent shade of pink.

"Hey Harry." Albus couldn't keep the smile off; it was both out of genuine happiness to see his friend and amusement at today's choice of hair colour. "What's with the pink hair?"

Harry shook his head, closed his eyes and suddenly his hair was a soft auburn colour. "Ugh, sometimes I start to think about something and so my hair responds by changing colour without my knowledge." He rolled his eyes. "I tell you Al, this thing is not cool."

They reached the table and slipped into seats opposite Scorpius and Rose who were oddly silent, picking at their pasta salad. "Hey guys, what's up?" Albus' cheery attitude did not go unnoticed but it fell on deaf ears, yes it was most definitely now awkward and strange.

"Have you been approached by the Slytherin team yet?" Rose asked cautiously, her voice filled with trepidation and worry.

Albus nodded. "Yeah, just ran into a bunch of Slytherins, Hubert and one of the chasers were there. Why?"

"They've been coming after us individually." Scorpius' voice was almost monotonous. "I got cornered by a few fifth years this morning, gave me this," he pointed to a black eyes that made Albus' eyes widen, "of course I replied in kind. Frankly it was a good thing that Amelia Wells came along, sorted it all out and I didn't get into trouble."

"I'm glad to see you're okay." Albus smiled but he knew something was missing. "What aren't you telling me? Who else has been targeted?"

"Is someone going to explain to me why Slytherins are attacking the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" Harry demanded and Albus blanched, he had forgotten that he didn't know about the incident.

"They want payback for the fact that a slip with Professor Zabini's signature did not let them overrule our booked practise." Scorpius shook his head, biting his lip. "It's petty and the Slytherins have taken it too far. But," he looked straight at Albus, "some of the team have been less lucky than us."

Albus swallowed. "Who Scorpius? Who's been hit badly? Was it Edward? Was it Holly?" the silence from both Scorpius and Rose said it all and Albus stood up, feeling sick. "They got James, didn't they?" He choked. Suddenly he didn't feel like eating any more, his appetite had gone. "I'm going to the Hospital Wing."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Scorpius looked concerned at his best friend; he didn't want Albus doing anything rash.

Albus shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks Scorpius; I want to see what's happened for myself."

He walked out of the Great Hall feeling numb, he didn't quite know what to expect when he reached the Hospital Wing. Was James unconscious? Did he have any bones broken? Was he in a coma? How 'bad' was it, the word has so many different meanings.

When he reached the Hospital Wing, he could see for himself just how bad it was. James and Edward were the only two people in there. Scorpius clearly had failed to report that Edward had been beaten up pretty badly; he seemed to be sleeping with purple bruises all over his face. But James was definitely unconscious.

As Albus reached his bed, he didn't care that Madame Pomfrey had come out and he sunk into a chair, looking down at his brother. James' face was badly bruised, he had two black eyes and his right leg was in a cast. He could have been mistaken but he might have seen signs of a Slashing Jinx somewhere on his arms.

"This has gone too far." He whispered, trying not to cry.

"It has indeed." Luna's voice was grave as she joined him at Albus' bedside. "I'm going to speak to Slytherin house this afternoon, this will stop."

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